Inventory Specialist

Walgreens•Collinsville, IL

7d•$18 - $23

About The Position

The Inventory Specialist executes, monitors, and trains inventory best practices and standard operating procedures throughout the store, including the front end and pharmacy. The role supports pharmacy inventory management and is responsible for receiving, counting, ordering, pricing, returns, planogram accuracy, and other in-store inventory processes. It reviews and coordinates appropriate use of reports and system applications affecting on-hand balances and pricing, maintains asset-protection practices, and files claims for inventory overages, shortages, order errors, and damaged goods, including prescription drugs. In designated stores, the specialist may open or close the store in the absence of store management, complete required systems start-ups and cash-handling duties, and prepare the floor and stockroom for the business day. The role also engages customers, models customer-service practices, and may resolve customer concerns when acting as leader on duty. The specialist executes and coaches inventory, receiving, ordering, pricing, returns, and inventory-count processes across the front end and pharmacy. Pharmacy duties are performed under the supervision of the pharmacist-in-charge. The position helps prepare for physical inventory, maintains inventory records and documentation, supports package delivery and pickup activities, and complies with company policies and applicable state and local requirements. It attends required training, completes e-learning, and obtains and maintains a pharmacy license or certification when required by the state. The specialist also serves as a liaison between management and non-management team members, coaching coworkers on inventory systems and communicating assigned tasks or issues when serving as leader on duty.

Requirements

Internal candidates: six months of prior work experience with Walgreens; external candidates: one year of prior retail work experience.
Fluency in reading, writing, and speaking English, except in Puerto Rico.
Willingness to work a flexible schedule, including evening and weekend hours.
Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to multitask and manage execution.
Experience identifying operational issues and recommending and implementing strategies to resolve problems.
Obtain and maintain a valid pharmacy license or certification when required by the state.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience as a shift lead, pharmacy technician, designated hitter, or customer service associate.
Prior Walgreens work experience, with an evaluation on file.

Responsibilities

Execute, monitor, and train storewide inventory best practices and standard operating procedures for the front end and pharmacy.
Support pharmacy inventory management, including receiving, counting, ordering, and facilitating returns.
Receive, count, price, and process returns, and carry out in-store inventory processes; validate planogram accuracy.
Review and coordinate the proper use of reports and system applications affecting inventory balances and pricing.
Maintain front-end and pharmacy asset-protection practices and file claims for overages, shortages, order errors, and damaged goods.
When designated and in the absence of store management, open or close the store, complete required system start-ups and cash-handling responsibilities, and prepare the floor and stockroom for the business day.
Greet customers, offer assistance, model customer-service best practices, and, when leader on duty, resolve customer issues and answer questions.
Execute and coach warehouse and vendor inventory processes, including creating, reviewing, and receiving orders.
Scan deliveries while vendors are still in the store, take appropriate action on delivered or undelivered scheduled receipts, contact vendors, and open tickets to correct inaccurate orders.
Under the pharmacist-in-charge’s supervision, verify pharmacy shipments and complete or verify daily postings of pharmacy orders; perform tote audits and report shortages or damaged products as needed.
Complete the On-Shelf Availability process for planogrammed departments, including disposals, call-ins, vendor returns, and scan-outs and scan-out returns.
Under the pharmacist-in-charge’s supervision, complete pharmacy recalls, vendor returns, damaged and non-controlled salvage returns, applicable excess-inventory returns or transfers, and verify pharmacy claims postings.
Complete pricing activities, including price changes and markdowns; maintain accurate pricing and signage and complete additional regulatory pricing tasks in a timely manner.
Support front-end and pharmacy ordering by ordering expense items, monitoring pharmacy manual orders for excess, and maintaining and ordering consigned inventory as needed.
Update on-hands for designated pull-and-quarantine items and place them in the designated holding area.
Maintain accurate inventory counts and on-hand quantities in basic departments, the stockroom, overstock locations, and pharmacy; complete pharmacy smart counts under pharmacist-in-charge supervision.
Ensure inventory compliance with state and local laws for regulated products such as alcoholic beverages and tobacco products.
Maintain inventory records by receiving and posting products in inventory systems and organizing and retaining invoices, receipts, and return authorizations.
Prepare for physical inventory and support inventory-day activities, including preparing the sales floor, stockroom, and pharmacy and auditing the third-party team.
Keep counters and shelves clean and well merchandised.
Learn and use store systems and equipment.
Assist and coach the store team on package delivery activities, including package scans, daily inventory functions, and returns; support the Pickup Program.
When designated as leader on duty, register sales on the assigned POS and record scanning errors, price verifications, items not on file, price modifications, and voids; complete returns, order voids, refunds, cash drops, and change requests.
Comply with company policies and procedures and maintain respectful coworker relationships.
Attend company training, complete required e-learning and safety training, and obtain and maintain a state-required pharmacy license or certification.
Coach and develop team members’ inventory-system capabilities; when leader on duty, communicate assigned tasks and report disciplinary issues and customer complaints to management.
Complete additional assigned activities and tasks.